The invention relates generally to a jewelry fastener assembly and, more specifically to an improved fastener for a necklace and jewelry enhancer or pendant.
The use of pendants and other enhancers with necklaces, bracelets, and the like as items of adornment is well known in the art. Such enhancers generally include a ring or loop at an upper end thereof, which is slipped over one end of the necklace or bracelet, or is otherwise hung from the necklace or bracelet. The necklace or bracelet generally includes an elongated member, such as a chain, having a clasp in order to secure one end of the chain to the other end, around the neck or wrist of the user.
In use, enhancers which freely slide on a chain may become displaced and not hang in a proper position on the user. For example, in a necklace the enhancer may not lie flat and centered on the front of the user""s neck, and the clasp may likewise become displaced and move toward the front of the user""s neck instead of remaining hidden behind the neck of the user. Conventional clasps are generally intended to serve a functional purpose and are not intended to provide adornment. Exceptions are those clasps which themselves are decorative in nature. However, such clasps are generally not used in combination with an enhancer since the clasp provides adornment to the chain. Two of the more popular style clasps are spring-ring style clasps and lobster claw clasps. Each of these clasps includes a loop portion supported on one end of the chain and either a spring-ring or a lobster-claw shaped clasp member which releasably engages the loop portion. Other style clasps are also known in the art, for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,080 to Friedlander discloses a clasp which includes a male and a female portion that are snapped into engagement during use. However, with any of the aforementioned conventional style clasps the enhancer may still freely slide on a chain and become displaced during use.
Accordingly, there is needed in the art an improved device for reliably and securely positioning an enhancer from a piece of jewelry such as a necklace or bracelet.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved jewelry fastener assembly which can be utilized to support a pendant or enhancer. The jewelry fastener assembly includes a clasp for securing an article of jewelry on a user, and a coupling device for releasably securing the enhancer to the clasp. The clasp preferably includes a first and second member supported on opposite ends of the article of jewelry, the first and second members being configured to releasably engage each other in a first, engaged position where the enhancer is not utilized. The coupling device preferably includes a third and a fourth member supported on sides of the enhancer. The third member is configured to releasably engage the first member of the clasp, and the fourth member is configured to releasably engage the second member of the clasp in a second, engaged position where the enhancer is supported between the clasp and releasably secured thereto. In one embodiment, the first and second members of the clasp preferably include a male, snap-style projection which is sized to be matingly received within a corresponding female receptacle in the first, engaged position. Likewise, the third and fourth members of the coupling device preferably include a male, snap-style projection and a female receptacle which are configured and sized to be matingly received within the corresponding female and male elements of the clasp in the second, engaged position where the enhancer is supported by the clasp.
Releasably securing and supporting the enhancer between the ends of the article of jewelry allows the enhancer to substantially remain in its proper position on the user since it is not freely slidable on the article of jewelry.